Chapter 9 - Tanner McChristian

 When it comes to shooting coverage, I find that its the safest way to approach dialogue scenes. It allows the actors to run through a scene several times, getting comfortable with the other performers as well as the material. However, shooting for coverage can also have the unintended effect of burning out the actors, who are being forced to repeat the same material over and over again. Some directors don't even shoot coverage for this reason. Directors like David Fincher and Christopher Nolan have openly spoken about how they extensively storyboard their films to the point where they know exactly how they want to shoot scenes down to specific shots for specific lines of dialogue. Nolan was doing this as early as his first feature length film, "Following."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhKZwY4ZhPo

here is a great video talking about Nolan's process when making his first feature.

Chapter 8 - Tanner McChristian

 Camera movement can be a powerful tool when it comes to aspects of immersion for an audience. Moving the camera with your characters is an easy way to make the audience feel as though they are walking beside them, along for the ride. But, you can also use camera movement to clue an audience into something that the characters of the film have no awareness of, inherently creating tension as to when or how the characters will also discover said information. My personal favorite implementation is probably when a camera follows characters for long, unbroken shots as I'm partial to feeling that sense of immersion I mentioned earlier.

Chapter 7 - Tanner McChristian

 When it comes to drawing the audiences eye, I find the best way to do so is with two key elements: Contrast and leading lines. Leading lines just means that there are lines in the frame that actually draw an viewers eyes to a specific place, like a hallway for street. Contrast is where things get a bit tricky as you need to be able to get the audience to focus on the point of the shot, so said point can't be too dark or too bright. So, you make everything surrounding the point dark and bright, while keeping the point itself well exposed, in the midtone range.

Chapter 6 - Tanner McChristian

 Since this chapter talks about lighting, I just wanted to speak on my approach to lighting when it comes to my no-budget projects. More often than not, I'll usually just rely on natural light and practical light sources, whether those sources are the sun, street lights, or lamps and whatnot. For myself, I honestly find doing so makes for a more natural feeling enviornment within the film which can be extremely helpful depending on the kind of story you're trying to tell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoebZZ8K5N0

This is the trailer for "The Revenant," which I think is probably the best example of natural light being used for an entire film that you can find in cinema. 

Chapter 5 - Tanner McChristian

 Since this chapter talks a lot about the different types of lenses, I'd just like to take a moment to talk about my thoughts and preferences when it comes to filmmaking. The only real difference between most lenses is the use for which they are designed. There are cinema lenses, which are designed in every way to accomodate filmmakers looking for consistency and unique looks, often forgoing features like auto focus or even electronic communication with the camera. Other lenses, often lumped into the camp of photo lenses, do the exact opposite. Photo lenses forgo uniqueness and consistency for tthe sake of speed and ease of use. Thats not to say that someone can't use photo lenses for cinema or professional video work, as nearly EVERY filmmaker has, myself included. Personally, the lens I always default to is the 18-35mm from Sigma. The lens is sharp, has good, reliable autofocus, and just enough character to not feel generic with just enough room for me to add some effects to alter the look in post production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fWBw_VfE24

This is a great video from Hugh Sweeney talking about this lens.

Chapter 4 - Tanner McChristian

 As somebody who consistently works as both a director and a cinematographer myself, I think this chapter absolutely nails the responsibility of both positions. Their are several working directors who consistently work with different cinematographers on nearly every project, but you can still tell that the project was being led by THAT director. This is mostly because directors like these have a particular style and are always mindful of it when working on a project. Some directors, like Gareth Edwards for example, even prefer to operate the camera themselves for maximum visual control over the final image. Understanding camera technology and machanics is absolutely fundemental to crafting a cinematic experience, and if you don't underestand that as a director, there is a good chance that you won't make it far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=su4jXPNa7PA&t=698s

this is an excellent documentary by Darius Britt as he breaksdown his own feature length film, shot by shot, explaining every creative choice that he and his team made with the camera, lenses, lighting, and composition.

Chapter 3 - Tanner McChristian

 Composition is such a crucial part of crafting an image within cinematogaphy. Granted, it of course goes hand-in-hand with lighting, set design, and other techincal aspect of filmmaking. Personally, I've always been attracted to films that utilize like and contrast to emphasize their frames. One of the most iconic shots of the last decade to me has consistently been the incredible sunset shot from "Sicario," as a team of CIA, FBI, and Delta Force operatives embark on a mission dusk, disappearing below the horizon into the dark. The film was shot by Roger Deakins, who's known for his excellent work over a long career. He's even dabbled in similar shots before, specifically in a chase sequence in "No Country for Old Men," nearly 10 years prior. And it's not just the awesome lighting thatt makes the shot so mesmerising, its the slow, patient movement of the camera while the characters walk across the the frame only to disappear into tthe shadows. I could talk about this movie all day lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIvGRytmRaw

Here's a great video on composition from D4Darious, an award winning indie filmmaker on youtube. It was a big help for me whenever I started to take composition a bit more seriously.

Tanner_Chp1

 This chapter largely discussses visual storytelling and all of the different aspects that lend themselves to telling your story without having to spell it out for your audience. Something I always like seeing is the ackowledgment for all the different departments that contributes to a film's overall look. Its never as simple as finding a flattering angle of your set or talent, and then maybe throwing inn a couple fancy movements of the camera for good effect. Its the lighting, the set dressing, the costumes, the time of day, the symetry or purposeful lack there of within the frame. I could talk for hours about this kind of stuff. And honestly, I don't think enough people have respect for the art of visual storytelling, but hopefully that will change someday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obIWs9p0boE&t=422s

This is one of my favorite videos on the subject. It breaks down the vidual storytelling throughout "Better Call Saul." Its a brilliant series and is exceptionally well written and well made.